Getting a job in Canada is now even easier for foreigners

As of January 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada has launched the second phase of the Recognized Employer Pilot (REP) program, under the Temporary Foreign Worker program. It is designed to simplify the application process for Canadian employers who want to hire workers without Canadian citizenship or residency.

What employers are eligible to participate in the program?

The Ministry is accepting applications from employers who have already proven their reliability under the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. To participate, they must:

• Obtain at least 3 positive Labor Market Impact Assessments (LMIA) within the last 5 years;
• Hire temporary foreign workers for positions that are in short supply in Canada (these are noted on a special register).

Employers approved under this program receive:

• Extended LMIA validity period: 36 months instead of 18 months;
• Simplifying the application process for hiring additional staff;
• A special note on job sites.

With such relaxations, it is much easier to hire foreign specialists.

What kind of professions are these for?

The first phase was launched on September 12. At that time, the program was intended exclusively for agriculture-related jobs. More specifically, the first phase affected 4 occupations:

• livestock workers;
• harvesters;
• specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators;
• workers in nurseries and greenhouses.

The second phase is launched from January 2024 and means a significant expansion of the list of available occupations. In addition to employers in the agricultural sector, simplified recruitment is now available to employers in:

health care, construction, trade, insurance, restaurant business, metallurgy, chemical industry and more.

As a result, it will be much easier to find jobs for foreign professionals with experience in 84 different professions. The full list can be found on the official website.

As an alternative to the Recognized Employer Program, there is the International Mobility Program and Global Talent Stream, which do not require an LMIA at all.

Canada has consistently made it easier to hire foreign professionals in hopes of addressing the country's skills shortage. Recently, the Department of Immigration extended a program for illegal workers in the construction sector for the same purpose.